John Kearns

This month’s Comedian Of The Month is the strange character comic, John Kearns.

Winning Best Newcomer at the 2013 Foster’s Comedy Awards and following that up with the 2014 Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Award saw Kearns make history and he has continued to blossom ever since. With tousled wig and oversized, crooked false teeth, this comedian really epitomises what might be considered “niche” in the comedy world, being, in his own words, “a joke that got out of hand”.

Talking of John Kearns, Bruce Dessau (Beyond The Joke) recently said “this work is very much for people who see a lot of comedy and crave something with a stronger flavour,” so perhaps this explains why I am such a fan of Kearns’ surreal comedy, but I’m not quite sure that’s it. I can also see how he could potentially appeal to a much larger audience, spanning over all ages, as he can certainly be compared to the likes of Harry Hill and Reeves and Mortimer, who have charmed adults and children alike for decades.

The absurdity borders on tragic at times, which makes for truly interesting viewing, and this is balanced by relatively frequent and astute observations derived from the simplest of things, like “I saw a five-year-old wearing a watch,” which earns a laugh in itself but is then developed even further. With his childish mannerisms and lively delivery, John Kearns really puts the joy into stand up. It is a pleasure to see him on stage as he clearly has a lot of fun, as well as bringing an enthusiasm to his performances which can only be admired.

At the beginning of the year, the BBC announced that they were to make a conscious effort to include at least one woman on every episode of every panel show broadcast by the corporation, and it inspired me to write this post. It’s fair to say that to begin with, I was disheartened. I felt embarrassed that female comedians were being made to look like poor little lambs that can’t fend for themselves as it is absolute nonsense. However, the situation improved later on in the year (which I also documented here) as the thirteenth series of Mock The Week aired and so many talented female comics were given the screen time they deserve. It is my hope from here on in that people forget about the publicised rule and appreciate that these women have earned their right to be on these programmes, and acknowledge their immense talent.

Another shock announcement was that there are plans for the channel BBC3 to be axed in order to fund other projects within the BBC. Amongst other things, the broadcaster wants to create a BBC1+1 which seems pointless as we already have iPlayer, and the decision has, understandably, not been well received. We are told that when BBC3 disappears from our TV screens, it will still be available via BBC iPlayer. Maybe we are just reluctant to give in to the age of the computers, but it definitely feels like the space for new comedy on television is being made smaller by moving its main platform online. “We know those +1 channels are very important to people”, well, Mr Cohen, so is our comedy.

Winner of this year’s Fosters Comedy Award: John Kearns

The Edinburgh Festival this year saw a new winner of the Fosters Comedy Award crowned. John Kearns’ show Shtick is the first Free Fringe show to have ever won the award. There have also been some HUGE live comedy tours this year from the likes of Russell Howard, Miranda Hart, Sarah Millican and Noel Fielding, as well as the return of Monty Python for five nights of nostalgic silliness at the O2 Arena.